91 of 91 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Anecdotes (Funny, sad and pathetic) related to Fine Restaurants, March 12, 2006
This review is from: FINE DINING MADNESS: The rules & realities of fine dining (Hardcover)
I was initially apprehensive about a 300+ page book with a cover subtitle that says it is about the "rules and realities of fine dining." My apprehension was completely unfounded; the subtitle is much broader than I suspected. If you like funny stories, especially funny true stories (though there are also pathetic and sad stories), and you can handle hearing about what happens in restaurants from the point of view of a person who has worked in those restaurants, then quit reading this review and go buy the book.
One proviso regarding this book; John manages to insult a goodly portion of the population, and perhaps much of the world, in his book. He appears to be an equal opportunity insulter, covering religions, races, sexes, lifestyle choices, alcoholics, rednecks, professional athletes, braggarts, politicians and just about any other segment of the population that you can think of. He does hold in high esteem people in the military, people in real public service, especially fire fighters, paramedics and policemen, anyone who does something for their fellow man, polite people, and good tippers, not necessarily on that order. If you are personally insulted by Galloway's comments, then go do something to deliberately prove him wrong, like speaking politely to the next waiter you meet, serving time in a soup kitchen, or tipping a hard 20 at the end of your next meal, including the cost of any drinks, in addition to any other tips you already provided.
Getting past the provisos, this book discusses aspects of eating at very upper class restaurants; aspects that I would never have considered. Many of the employees use drugs. Many are having liaisons with bar flies in the back room, or each other, or with just about anyone else who can handle doing it in the restaurant restroom or on a garbage can. Some of these liaisons may happen in the parking lot, behind the restaurant, in a motel, or at someone's home or apartment, but they start at the restaurant. If you insult your waiter, there may be some special preparation of the food before it ever reaches you. You may as well accept that angering a waiter could cause said waiter to spit on your food, or worse. Employees are guzzling company booze as though they were dying of thirst in the Sahara. Others are just stealing.
The book does cover the niceties of eating in a high quality restaurant. I am speaking of a restaurant with a cuisine better than Red Lobster, for those of you who think that Applebee's or Chili's constitutes fine dining. Sorry, but there is a grade of restaurant that is TWO levels above those restaurants. A fine restaurant may require you to wear a coat and tie. These restaurants have waiters wearing tuxedos rather than jeans or khakis. These restaurants do not have a clown, an over-sized animal, or plastic decorations adorning their exterior or interior. Admittedly, in the Midwest we have fine dining restaurants that permit you to be casual, but these restaurants still serve very expensive, very good food. The wine lists in a fine restaurant can contain wines that cost (do not choke) thousands of dollars.
John includes stories in this book of people of various amounts of fame. There are (I believe true) stories of famous movie stars, presidents, athletes, mobsters, and war heroes. I probably missed some category of famous people. The stories are interesting, sometimes touching, and always enlightening.
Other parts of the book discuss what it is like working for a restaurant. The book discusses dealing with bosses who are jerks, and with good bosses. John also talks about waiters, maitre D's, management, chefs and all the other people who make restaurants work. The hardships these people endure (often hardships caused by jerk customers), and what it does to their lives, are also in this book. You may find that you are more sympathetic to restaurant workers in general after reading this book.
Throughout all the various topics, John's stories are often funny. Some of his stories are sad, and have the regret in them that many of us have for not doing what we could or should have. Others are poignant reminders that we are fallible, mortal creatures.
I found myself pulled into John's tales, and soon I forgot I was reading a book that I thought was nominally about eating in a fine restaurant. I found the book to be a quick read, which is reviewer-speak for a book that uses big print, common words, and is organized well. Restaurant connoisseurs and those who think they know what fine dining means, or want to know what fine dining means, should buy this book. If you like funny-sad true stories you should buy this book. Those looking for an unusual reading experience should buy this book. When I finished this book, I thought to myself that this book deserves to be nominated for some kind of award. Yes, it is that good. Enjoy!
This review is based on a copy of the book provided to me by the author.
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59 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very funny and yet at times deeply moving, February 14, 2006
You can learn two things from reading this book:
*) Never make your waiter or waitress angry, they have many ways that they can get even.
*) The author is a very good writer, generating some of the best humor I have ever read.
The book recounts Galloway's days as a waiter in a posh Washington D. C. restaurant. His experiences with a clientele composed of mobsters, politicians, bumpkins from outside the district, lawyers, soused barflies and hookers are fun to read about. Not because the people he describes are necessarily all that interesting, but due to the fact that Galloway is a good writer. He writes with passion about everything, his descriptions of the war veterans that he served will bring a tear to your eye. Even when he is describing people with despicable habits, they come across as people that you want to hear about.
I loved the book, Galloway possesses a great deal of writing talent and it is demonstrated on nearly every page. Whether or not you care about the life of a waiter you will enjoy this story about people, written by a man who knows how to tell a good tale.
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68 of 69 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Many Levels Make FINE DINING MADNESS an Incredible Read, July 31, 2005
This review is from: FINE DINING MADNESS: The rules & realities of fine dining (Hardcover)
FINE DINING MADNESS is much more complex than one might think. Galloway's book is so much more than just a "wickedly funny restaurant book." But it is wickedly funny. Here are just some of the layers that are a wealth of information and outstanding nonfiction writing that is FINE DINING MADNESS:
1. The struggle of a person who is restless to achieve his dreams. Galloway feels trapped in the restaurant world, and indeed he is. He wants outs so badly, yet in an almost cruel twist of fate, Galloway is a master of the fine dining trade. We do what we do well.
2. Personal grief and survivor guilt. The author lost is mother when he was 12, and his sister died from cancer when she was 27. His take on death is fascinating, and truthful.
3. Stark observations of human behavior. Galloway is so on-the-nose, yet hilarious with his depictions. From gluttony and alcoholism to greed and sexual lust, he pulls no punches. His writing is gutsy.
4. Citing the rules, and pointing out the behaviors that make waiters want to go on a shooting spree. I think everyone is guilty of the various infractions he notes, and he lists the extremes too. many of which are down-right shockers.
5. Historical References: FINE DINING MADNESS is PACKED with wonderful pieces of historical information and references. I learned more about history and the military from FINE DINING MADNESS than all my history courses in college.
6. His commentaries/observations about waste. America throws out so, so much, and Galloway tells it like it is.
7. Celebrity encounters. I loved the celebrities chapter. I howled, and cringed. I also agree with Galloway that many people tend to value celebrities more than themselves, which is quite pathetic.
8. Medical conditions that result from restaurants and restaurant work and patronage. Galloway descibes them all in a very articulate and humorous fashion.
9. Metaphors, analogies and new words: Read this book and your lexicon will be greatly expanded: pathy gambi, gratshafter, gin kitten, and my favorite, whiskey tango (wasted time).
10. Statement on the human condition. This layer speaks for itself, and alone justifies reading this book.
I could go on and on. But the bottom line is, FINE DINING MADNESS is one of the best books to come along in decades. And at the very least, you'll howl in laughter, and it will save you loads of loot the next time you eat out, whether it's fine dining or just your local diner.
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